For All Time
by Thorber Stone
Summary: Shortly after the events of Season 4's Rock Around the Clock, a mysterious individual steals the Russo family's time machine and starts causing mayhem in history. Can Alex, Justin and Max stop this mystery person and make it home in time for pizza? Only time will tell.
1. Chapter 1: No One Notices Time

For retro mania

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CHAPTER 1  
 _No One Notices Time Until It's Gone_

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Alex Russo studied her friend, Harper Finkle with a critical eye, from her lounging position on the three-seater couch. "Nah, I don't think it's obvious at all." said Alex after a moment's thought, and resumed watching TV. The two were hanging out in the loft above the station.

Harper pouted a little and lifted the mirror in her hand to see her reflection, "I was hoping it _would_ be," said Harper, "I call it my 'Back to the Fifties' spectacular!"

Alex snorted derisively, "Sh-yeah, that's original. Who wants to go backwards in time?"

Harper looked at Alex thoughtfully, "We kinda did, and that's where I got this whole new fashion idea from anyhow." She gestured at herself with a flourish, showing her stylishly curled red locks, and an actually attractive number that was reminiscent of the styles in the fifties.

Alex sighed, turned off her TV and rolled to lie on her back, cushioning the back of her head with her arms, "The sooner we can all forget that, the better. I can't believe you actually enjoyed that trip. Ugh!"

Harper tilted her lips in a lopsided way, eyes wide, and she said, "Well _you're_ the ones that kept forgetting me. I had to wait."

Alex considered that and shrugged nonchalantly, "Eh yeah, fair point. But it's okay, we forgive you." said Alex and closed her eyes.

Before Harper could offer a protest, Justin, Max and Zeke all entered, laughing at a joke one of them had been sharing, until Max said, "I don't get it..."

"Hey Alex," said Zeke, and then he looked at Harper with affection in his eyes, "Harper."

Harper and Zeke made eyes at each other whilst Justin took a seat on the couch beside Alex's, and Max headed into the kitchen to raid the larder. "Mum and dad won't be back until dinner tonight," said Justin, looking pointedly at Alex, who lazily raised one eye open to look at her brother, "so I'm in charge until then."

At the sight of Alex's smug grin, he quickly added, "All I ask is _pleeease_ don't make my life miserable, or wreak havoc on all of us."

The brunette wizard rolled her eyes and closed them, smiling, "Lucky for you I'm determined to break my old summer record of staying on this couch for the longest time." said Alex, then she pointed at Harper and Zeke, "Unless those two give me reason to zap them into the basement."

Pausing in their exchange of googly eyes, Harper and Zeke turned to look at Alex simultaneously and said "Hey!"

Walking over with a sandwich in his mouth, and two mega loaves under each arm, Max glanced at everyone, shrugged and settled down just in front of Alex's couch, turned the TV back on and started munching the sandwich in his mouth. Alex, in a rare moment of activity, reached out and snatched one of the sandwiches before Max could even register his loss.

"Thanks Max," said Alex, and started chewing her chosen meal, prompting Justin to cross his arms and chuckle.

"She wants to stay on the couch all summer," said Justin, "I'm just waiting to see how long that conviction holds when she needs a toilet." He and Max share a laugh, with Alex glaring at them both, when there was a sound like thunder. Bolts of lightning flew out and struck the floor and ceiling just by the kitchen area. Everyone, even Alex flew to their feet and watched as the center magically filled with dark clouds and electricity arcing everywhere. After a moment, an elderly man could be see in the center of the orbiting clouds and lightning bolts, holding a long gnarly staff with a strange clock hanging from the top of the staff, and all over him were clocks and watches. This made him easily identifiable to Justin.

"Father Time," said Justin, "Uh...how can we help you?"

The mythical being looked over at the teenagers, bemused, "Someone here has been altering the passage of time."

Justin gave him a quizzical look, then at Alex and the rest, then back, "Uh...if you're talking about when we went back to tell our grandfather not to sell the building ownership..."

Father Time shook his head and waved his hand, "I'm not talking about something that small; I can overlook that...once. No," he said, "I'm talking about going all the way back to earlier, and altering history. My clocks all pointed here, to this household, as the root cause of the changes."

"What changes?" asked Alex, and she gestured to their surroundings, "Looks to me like nothing's changed."

In that instant, the whole place suddenly looked dusty, and abandoned, with broken furniture, the lights went out, and outside, the place looked grim. Justin gave his sister an exasperated look, "You _had_ to ask."

Father Time shook his staff and yelled in fury, "You see?! It _is_ here! You remain unharmed only because of my presence. I can keep the changes of time from erasing you and a chosen few from existence, provided that they are nearby, but you _must_ find the culprit quickly."

He vanished in a flash of lightning and the sound of thunder and the loft remained in its deplorable condition, with everyone looking at Alex, who made an irritated noise and threw her arms up in the air, "Don't look at me!" said Alex, "I was _right here_ with all of you the whole time."


	2. Chapter 2: Time To Go

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CHAPTER 2  
Time To Go

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"Okay," said Justin, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "we'll need to check on our time machine first."

"Cool," said Max, "I'll come with you."

He had started trailing Justin the second he said that, but the eldest of the Russo siblings turned and pointed at him, then at Alex, "No, you're staying right here, where you, Zeke and Harper can keep an eye on Alex."

"Seriously?!" said Alex, scowling at her brother, "I'm not the one who did this...this time."

But Justin had already gone to look in the magical room, whilst Max obediently stood in front of her, watching with his arms crossed. Harper and Zeke were hand-in-hand, more or less doing the same thing. "You guys are silly."

Justin returned a moment later and reported, "The time machine's stolen. Someone has it."

Max in the meantime, turned to say, "Alex blinked three times, exhaled loudly, and said 'You guys are silly.'"

"Good work," said Justin with a grin and tossed a biscuit at him, "have a Maxy-Snack."

While Alex stared at the way Justin was treating Max, and how Max was just busy enjoying the snack, Mason Greybeck burst into the dusty loft, followed closely by Juliet van Heusen, followed by a short flame-haired girl who did not see Juliet pausing in her tracks and crashed into the vampire.

"Mason?" said Alex at about the same time as Justin said, "Juliet?"

And as the redhead who crashed into Juliet stepped back nervously, Max spoke, "Nancy?"

Harper and Zeke stepped up to the short girl, who looked back and forth between everyone nervously, and as Alex and Justin drew their wands, Nancy Lukey raised her hands defensively and said, "I know you're all wizards, but don't wipe my memory, please!"

This made them hesitate, and Alex maintained a posture ready to cast but asked, "All right, why shouldn't we wipe your memory?"

"Because my family...at least someone in it, was a wizard too," said Nancy, "I only found out not too long ago, made me realize Max really is a wizard, and you were all just trying to cover it up."

"How did you not know one in your family is a wizard?" asked Justin, looking incredulous.

"It was my grandmother," said Nancy, "she gave up her magic to be with my grandpa. My mother was supposed to be a wizard, but she also gave up magic, so I didn't inherit any of it. Look, I need your help!"

"What's wrong?" asked Max.

"I was on my way to see you, actually," said Nancy and she walked up to Max, reaching into her pocket and taking out a petrified lizard, "I...I had no right keeping this from you, and I'm sorry."

Harper sidled over to Alex, whilst they all watched the scene unfold, all with a mixed look of revulsion and horror, "I can't believe she kept that," said Harper.

Alex nodded, and added, "I can't believe I'm not more disgusted."

Max wrapped Nancy's hand back over the petrified reptile, looking kindly at her, "Keep it. I want you to have it," said Max, "Besides, I didn't handle things with you all that well..."

Nancy looked like she'd just been given a gift from God, while everyone else looked torn between touched and losing their lunch. Juliet cleared her throat noisily and then said, "Guys? Sorry to break this up, but WHAT IS GOING ON?!"

Justin moved to his girlfriend to explain it to her, whilst Mason approached Alex, and she quickly broke it down, "Someone's stolen our time machine and is wreaking havoc across history, according to Father Time." Mason nodded his head then looked thoughtfully at her. Catching his look, the brunette's eyes flashed angrily, and she pointed a finger at him, the tip glowing, "If you assume that _I_ had something to do with it...!"

Mason flinched, "Oi! Easy! I didn't think you were responsible."

The girl relaxed and lowered her hand, then the werewolf shrugged and added, "Since you're standing here among us."

Max and Justin approached Alex and grabbed her hands just as she was about to punch Mason in the shoulder, "Alex," said Justin, "we're gonna need another time machine, and a lock on where our current one is. I'll try and find out when the time machine is, and you and Max get us a time machine."

Max considered this and shrugged, "I could just build us one."

Alex and the others gave Max dubious looks, "Yeah," said Alex, "I don't feel like riding on something you built Max, especially if we're going to travel through time..."

"All right, let's do it. To the Wizard Lair!" said Justin, and he led everyone to the room, it looked every bit as dusty and abandoned as the rest of the place, but with a little bit of spells from the three teenaged wizards, they had the place a little more comfortable looking. Justin sat down in front of a crystal ball and waved his hands around it, incanting, " _I need the scry-net, to get back a time machine for a bet!_ " The ball immediately started filling with a glowing purple cloud, and the older Russo sibling smiled, "Well at least we still have the Winternet!"

Max searched around, with Nancy close by, whilst Zeke, Harper and Juliet stood behind Justin to watch him work. Alex and Mason stood shoulder-to-shoulder as she picked up a colourful alarm clock, drew out her wand and was about to enchant it, when there was thunder and lightning coming from the portal door, making everyone jump again. Max lowered his wand from his ear, with a magazine called 'Wizards Weekly' on it, and grinned, "Issue number thirteen had a time machine."

"Yeah," said Justin, "but you have to build it yourself."

Max fetched the brick-shaped package from the portal door, and opened the box, and pulled out various parts for a five-foot tall muddy green sundial. "Huh, you have to hold the dial and run in a direction to go forward or backward in time."

"Uh-huh," said Alex, "I think we'll go with mine." She tapped the clock with the wand, and the object glowed in green and gold light for a moment then she nodded with a grin, "Ready."

Justin clapped his hands right then and turned to everyone, "I've got it. According to the wizard time monitoring station, or WTMS, there's a time anomaly in 1977."

"Didn't we just go there?" said Harper.

"Yup," said Alex, in a deadpan voice. "We're going to discoland again."

"Oooh we should dress up like them again!" said Harper.

"Oh no, Harper, please don't make us..." said Alex, but the redhead snapped at the wizards with a wide-eyed glare.

"DO IT!"

Alex jumped and cast the spell, changing everyone's clothing to 70s era attire, and they looked at themselves admiringly. "All right, let's go and get ourselves a time-criminal and clean his clock!" said Justin and Alex pushed a button on the device, making the arms spin backwards rapidly, everyone in the circle disappeared from the lair.


	3. Chapter 3: Lost Time

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CHAPTER 3  
Lost Time

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When the group appeared in a flash of light, they found the place looked a little different. The dancers and patrons were still there, having a good time, but there seemed to be something different about everything. The decorations and arrangements were different. It didn't have the Russo touch to it. Zeke, Harper, Max and Nancy danced their way through the crowds upon arrival, happily blending in, whilst Justin, Alex, Mason and Juliet moved towards the bar, overlooking the entire place.

"All right," said Justin, "we need to find the thief quickly. Hey, Mason, Juliet, you guys have way better sense than us. Could you sniff the thief out?"

"Well, sure," said Mason, "the only problem is, I don't know what I'm sniffing for!"

"Mason, you smelt it before, our time machine," said Alex, "you said it smelt like old socks."

"Oh right I did!" said Mason, then his face contorted, "Oh, what a memory..."

Juliet patted his arm sympathetically, "How do you think I feel? I can smell it right now."

"Vampires have a better sense of smell!" said Justin, and looked at his girlfriend excitedly, "Where is it now?"

Mason looked a little off put by this exclamation, while Juliet pointed towards the exit, "That way, and moving away really fast."

"C'mon, let's go!" said Justin, and he left with his sister, the werewolf and vampire. Outside the streets were bustling with people, but his eyes fell on someone in a trenchcoat, with the yellow bingo roller in their hands, walking quickly away from the Sandwich Place. "There he is! STOP THIEF!"

"Gee, Justin!" said Alex tersely, "Do you think you could shout louder? I don't think he heard you!"

"Sorry..." Justin saw the stranger had burst into a run and disappeared around the corner, and Justin bellowed, cupping his hands around his mouth, " **STOP! THIEF!** " Alex rolled her eyes so hard, she saw her brain.

"I'll get him," said Mason, "I can follow his trail easily!"

Eager to outdo Juliet's supposed better sense of smell, the werewolf tore off at full speed.

Juliet sighed and looked at Justin, "I better catch up to him. He's so impulsive."

"Yeah, that's a good idea..." said Justin, and he kissed her on the cheek, "go on, we'll be right behind."

Juliet broke into a run after Mason, and Justin just a moment later behind her, but he paused when he looked back and saw that Alex wasn't following, but just milling about looking around unconcernedly. With a gasp and a frustrated protest, Alex was grabbed by the wrist and dragged along by Justin. "No! So much running! Let Mason and Juliet do it! We should just wait!"

* * *

Back in the Sandwich Place, Harper and Zeke were having a grand time dancing together, completely forgetting they were on a mission. But they were teenagers, what did you expect?

"This is great!" said Zeke, "Who knew the seventies was so much fun?"

"Our parents!" said Harper, grinning.

"Oh...yeah! I wish you guys brought me along last time."

Harper frowned, "Technically, this is last time..."

They both thought about it, then shrugged and resumed dancing.

Meanwhile, Max and Nancy were trying unsuccessfully to be as good at it as the older teens, but they were more focused on each other.

"So what have you been up to since last time?" asked Max.

Nancy shrugged, "Finding out that I was descended from wizards, and that you were telling the truth, and then trying to lie about it, mostly..."

"I'm sorry about that," said Max, "my family really panicked when I told them that I told you all about us."

Nancy looked a little crestfallen, but she smiled, "It's okay, I guess I can understand, when grandma explained it. I've been working up the nerve to talk to you about it, and then all the world began to fall apart. I escaped only because I was near here."

"Yeah, Father Time said he could protect people nearby for a short while, guess that was what he meant." Max nodded.

"Hey, where'd your brother and sister go?" That was when Max noticed that he was left behind.

"No idea, but they'll come back, I'm sure. Shall we dance?" said Max.

"That's what we're doing right now..." Nancy told him. 

* * *

"Justin!" said Alex, panting, "I can't keep up!"

"Alex, this is serious!" said Justin, "if they get away with our time machine, who knows where they'd go next?"

Why can't we just zap them from here and bring them to us?" said Alex.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Justin snapped his fingers, and looked around, making sure no one was watching, and the two wizards moved to hide behind a pillar, and he got ready to cast a spell when Alex stopped him.

"No wait!" she said, "take us to them! That way we'll be ahead of Mason and Juliet!"

"Huh, works too, I guess," and together Justin and Alex transported themselves and they appeared just ten feet away from the thief, who saw them and immediately began spinning the time machine.

"No!" Justin shouted and tried to leap at the thief, only to land hard on the floor, the space being vacated by the thief, "OW!"

Alex cringed, "Oh that looked like it hurt..."

"How'd you get here so quickly," asked Mason as he caught up, Juliet just behind.

"Nevermind that," said Justin as he stood up and brushed himself off, "we're going after the thief."

"How?" asked Alex, "he could be anywhere in time now."

"I saw the timeline selected, it's nineteen fifty seven."

"Why are we going back to all the timelines we visited." said Alex in a rhetorical manner as she took out her own time machine and the teenagers gathered close together as she spun the timer, and as they faded away Alex looked around, "Did we leave anyone behind?"


	4. Chapter 4: Time To Catch Up

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CHAPTER 4  
Time To Catch Up

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"Great...we have to go back and get Harper and the others, we left them in the disco." said Alex as they materialized, and then they made a horrible discovery.

"Alex...we're not in the Sandwich Place." said Justin, and there were people everywhere, and they just saw four teenagers dressed in seventies clothing.

Dozens of wide eyes gawked at the four, and a woman was on the verge of screaming when Mason abruptly walked around the group and threw his hands wide, "PRESTIDIGITATION!" his voice made everyone jump, and he grinned, hands still upraised as if to encompass the masses gathered, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome one, and welcome all! What you've just seen is the first of many amazing magical acts!"

"What the heck is he doing?!" Alex hissed softly, "He's going to expose magic!"

"No," said Juliet, smiling happily and in amazement, "he's improvising and making a cover for our appearing in the middle of the city out of thin air!"

"Oh," said Alex.

"That's genius!" said Justin, "But uh...he's sort of impulsive, isn't he?"

"He's _very_ impulsive," said Juliet softly, "so get ready."

"For what?" Alex asked, but she saw it a moment later.

"We were but moments ago, not here, and now we are!" said Mason, his speech slowing down, as he began faltering to think of what else to say, "That...that is the first of many amazing things you will see, and more! We are, uh...we are the..."

Alex quickly stepped up beside her boyfriend, "...Time's Up...Troupe! Is it Troupe?" She turned to look at Juliet, who quickly nodded, and Alex looked back at the gathering crowd, "Troupe!" We'll pop up somewhere when you least expect it, anytime, anywhere!"

"Incredible!" said someone, "I wonder what they'll come up with next?"

"What is that outfit they're wearing though?" said another, "It looks...strange."

"Well, how else are you going to know it's us?" said Justin, walking up and placing an arm around Mason's shoulders while Juliet moved to stand beside Alex. "It's our style. And without further ado...TRANSPORT!"

Justin teleported the group out of sight to a secluded top of the highest building he saw while they were there.

Juliet kissed Justin on the cheek and said, "That was brilliant. Good thing there weren't any cameras."

"But they'll be talking about it," said Alex, looking down at the crowd they were surrounded by moments ago, "that was some quick thinking from all of us."

"I actually remembered this being in the news," said Mason, "I just didn't realize I was the one who was behind it!"

"Wait," Alex turned to look at Mason, "You mean this actually happened?"

Juliet grinned, "Well, it seems like this was already history..." she frowned, "...or is it because we just did it? Time traveling is so messy."

There was a flash of light and a crack of thunder and Father Time appeared behind them, "And that is why you need to catch that thief quickly, and _stop_ mucking up time even more along the way!" His eyes widened at the last half of his sentence. "Time is unraveling faster than I can manage, and if this continues, there won't be a universe or time left!"

"We're working on that, sorry!" said Justin, trying to placate the old man, "Any chance you can point us where to look?"

The old man stared straight ahead, "I would start with that fellow on the building opposite the street, over there." He pointed, and the four teenagers looked over to see the same figure, still clad in a trenchcoat, running in the opposite direction from them.

"Let's go!" Justin took off, and fell right off the building, " **AAAAHHHH!** "

Sighing, Alex teleported him back, and he fell flat on his face. "And he calls Mason impulsive."

Mason chuckled while Juliet helped her boyfriend back to his feet and dusted him off, "Let's never talk about that again," said Justin. He walked over to the edge but this time paused, then cast a transport spell, wand drawn. Once they reappeared on the other side, they immediately began a long chase, but the thief had made a leap before vanishing mid-leap.

"Whoa, did they jump in time?" asked Juliet.

"No, that was a spell, but not cast by the thief." said Justin. "I think there's another person here."

"So we've got two thieves?" asked Alex.

"Looks like it. We need to get Max and the rest." He looked at Alex, "Take us back to the seventies."

"But we'll lose the trail of the thief here." said Mason.

"No we won't," said Juliet, "we can just go back in time before we lose their trail and catch them."

"Oh, right! Time travel!" said Mason, grinning.

"It's really messy." Juliet repeated. They gathered together in a tight circle and returned to where they left Max and the rest. 

* * *

**1957  
**  
In the Sandwich place, Max, Nancy, Harper and Zeke appeared, with Max running dizzyingly fast around his large sundial time turner.

"Okay stop, Max, I think we're here!" said Harper.

Max complied, and collapsed on the floor, exhausted, with Nancy fussing over him affectionately.

It was night, and the place was empty, but the shop looked deserted.

"I thought your family owned it even at this time," said Zeke, "but this looks like it's been abandoned."

Max sat up slowly and looked around, "Yeah..." he frowned, "...that's weird, it didn't look like this when we visited the last time."

"Can you find Alex and Justin?" Harper asked.

"I guess so, now how did that spell go again..." he stood up and took out his wand. "...or maybe I'll just wizard-dial them..."

He started tapping the edge of his phone while making noises and his fingers lit up, "Beep-beep-boop-beep-boop, boop, boop, beeep!"

He then placed the tip of his wand to his ear, frowned after a moment, and then looked at his wand, "Huh, no dial tone. I don't think they're here."

"Maybe we should go back to the seventies." said Nancy, "maybe they remembered us and went there to get us."

"Yeah, okay." Max gathered the teens and started running in reverse, holding his sundial, and they vanished again, but not before Nancy managed to say something.

"I think I'm getting time-sick..."

"Cool!" said Max as he ran, "if you hurl, make sure you aim at m..." and they were gone from the empty sandwich place.


	5. Chapter 5: Chasing Time

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CHAPTER 5  
Chasing Time

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"Hey Justin," said Juliet as they reappeared in the seventies, "you hear about that guy who was bashing the grandfather clock?"

Justin looked at his girlfriend wonderingly, and then she finished, "He said he was just killing time!"

The two shared a laugh, while Alex and Mason looked, bewildered.

"C'mon, let's go get Harper." said Alex, and she transported them to behind the Sandwich Place, only the place looked more abandoned than before. "What the...?" Alex rushed in, using her wand to unlock the door and remove the board planks.

Inside, the place looked like it had been uninhabited for decades. "What happened?" Mason asked.

"I think the thief did something, back in the fifties." said Justin, looking serious, "It looks like Grandpa Russo never opened the place at all..."

"If Max and the rest were in here when this change happened..." Alex pondered aloud, "...would they have disappeared?"

"No, they're still under Father Time's protection..." Justin snapped his fingers, "Max...Max was carrying his stupid sundial time-machine! Maybe they tried to follow us."

"But how would they know where we went?" Mason asked.

"I put a Chrono-Trail spell on Max in case we got separated," said Justin, "he can find us, and we can find him across time and space. He's in nineteen-fifty-seven. Let's go Alex."

"All right." said Alex, and they were off.

* * *

 **1977...**

Max and his group appeared right as Alex and the others vanished, and Max collapsed again, wheezing and panting.

"I think I liked it better when there were people and music," said Harper as she looked around the now dark and empty place, "what happened?"

"Max, you're the only wizard among us," said Zeke, "think you can do something to lock down on the others and get us to them before they leave that timeline?"

Still catching his breath, Max nodded, and drew out his wand with Nancy watching with interest. He waved the wand and groaned. "They...went back...to nineteen...fifty-seven..."

"Can I spin the dial for you?" asked Nancy, her eyes bright.

"That might be a good idea," said Zeke, "Max you relax this round."

Nancy grasped the sundial, and started running counter-clockwise, actually moving more quickly than Max did.

"Whoa, Nance, slow down, you might overshoo-"

And they were gone.

* * *

 **1957...**

"Oh seriously?!" cried Alex when she saw an empty sandwich place.

Even Juliet and Mason looked exasperated.

Justin threw his hands up in the air, and said, "We keep missing each other and we'll be at this forever."

A flash of lightning and the sound of thunder announced the appearance of Father Time who immediately started speaking, "You don't have forever, Justin Russo! Even if you can jump to a point in time before the thief can escape you, your delays will mean I have to hold back the effects of the collapse of time, and I can't hold it forever! Also, before you ask, I can't catch the thief for you while keeping the collapse at bay."

"I was just gonna ask," said Alex thoughtfully, then shook her head, "wait, did we already have this conversation?"

"Told you," said Juliet knowingly, "Very. Messy."

"Get moving, and quickly, children!" said Father Time as he vanished in a flash.

"Well we can't keep chasing each other through time," said Alex, and she used her wand to draw a message in neon green lights. The words hung in the air, flashing brightly. "No one's gonna see it, except Max and the gang. Let's get back to seventy-seven, and wait for them there."

"Good idea." said Justin agreeably, and Alex spun the time machine.

* * *

 **1979...**

When Max, Nancy, Harper and Zeke reappeared, Nancy ran so fast, she ended up throwing herself away from the rest of the group.

"Is anyone else feeling dizzy?" asked an unsteady Zeke, "I think you ran to fast."

Max and Harper helped Nancy back to her feet, and they all soon goggled at the large neon sign flashing at them saying " **STOP TRYING TO FOLLOW US AND STAY PUT!** "

"Guess we're staying here!" said a relieved Zeke, "Is anyone else getting hungry?"

"Hold on..." said Harper, as she looked down at the sundial and the year it was showing. "Oh no, Nancy ran us right past nineteen-seventy-seven! We have to go back two years!"

"I'll get us there!" said Nancy, but Harper and Zeke both grabbed the sundial.

" _We_ will get us there." said Harper firmly, and as one, all four began to run the clock, vanishing from sight.

* * *

 **1977...**

When Max and his group finally appeared, Alex was almost ready to take the group back to the past once again when she spotted them and sighed. All four teens collapsed from the sundial time machine in exhaustion. Alex marched up to the machine and grabbed it, "Right, time to deal with this for now."

She shrunk it down and put it in her pocket and looked at the four on the floor and huffed, "What's wrong with you guys?"

"You...try...running forty miles...to make a time machine...work." said Zeke, and lay his head back on the floor.

Using magic to revitalize the team, they were soon seated around a table to plan things out.

"So Father Time's said we're...uh...well, running out of time." said Justin, and Juliet and Mason nodded their agreement.

"We're thinking instead of chasing the thieves all around time, maybe we can jump back to fifty-seven, and just go back a few seconds before they can get far and catch hold of them."

"Cool," said Harper, "so who does what?"

The teens spent a few minutes fine tuning their plans, and when they finished, Justin rolled his eyes and commented, "This plan is gonna fall apart the minute we implement it, and we just wing it from there."

"Cheer up Justin," said Juliet and she ruffled his hair playfully.

They left the sandwich place and returned to the site where the thief had jumped the building and vanished. Justin took the time machine from Alex and set to fine tune the time when they were, and handed it back. Things were going to happen really fast when they traveled.

"Okay, everyone ready?" asked Alex, and at their nods, she beckoned them close to her and activated the machine. In the blink of an eye, they were back in 1957, and the thief was about to run into them, but took one look at the teens and turned to leap off the roof of the building they were on, but Justin, Max, Juliet and Nancy transported off the building to go across the road to the next building, and they accosted the thief's assistant, and when they saw who it was, Justin and Max yelped in surprise.

Meanwhile, Alex was shocked by the face hidden under the hood, but she was still able to react quickly, and unshrunk Max's time machine, throwing it in the thief's path, causing her to trip over it. Mason leapt on the thief and pulled back the hood, confirming Alex's suspicions, and she said, "I don't believe it!"


End file.
